


Badge of Honor

by hazellepotter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bets, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hogwarts, Hogwarts AU, Hogwarts Era, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Humor, Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 13:39:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12233964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazellepotter/pseuds/hazellepotter
Summary: He just kissed Lavender Brown, and he had enjoyed it. But it wasn’t real. Nothing in his life seemed to be anymore.This would come to an end, just like everything else, and it hadn’t even started.





	Badge of Honor

**It all started with a bet.**

Lavender Brown had been sulking around over Ron Weasley for a week, and Blaise was watching her closely.

Not out of interest for himself, but out of interest for potential leverage. It was just his way of doing things. He always needed a plan for a plan, and he needed a good piece in his games. _He was sure she would make them interesting._

And now that Draco was being particularly annoying, he knew he could use Lavender’s broken heart to his advantage. He figured it was cruel, but he wanted to have a little fun.

He deserved it, after-all. 

 

* * *

 

“So you’re saying if I can’t find a way to convince Slughorn to finally let me into the Slug Club, I have to ask Lavender Brown out on a date?”

Draco stared at Blaise in disbelief, but Blaise pursed his lips to show he was serious.

“Why are my terms so outrageous to you?” Blaise asked, “You are betting me that you can _finally_ get into the Slug Club. This bet in general is destined to be odd and unlikely in _all ways._ You wouldn’t ask her out normally, and you wouldn’t get in the Slug Club normally.”

_Draco glared._

“They are outrageous because she is a golden Gryffindor and just got dumped by a Weasel! Why would I accept a bet that is going to fuck me sideways and _ruin_ my reputation? Do you really find it that hard to believe I can convince Slughorn to finally let me in? Is this just a big laugh for you? At least be reasonable with your terms.”

Blaise smirked but didn’t give him a response. He just crossed his legs and flipped to the next page of his textbook. Draco stared at him for a moment and closed his eyes as he contemplated the bet overall. 

He logically knew he shouldn’t accept it. Blaise always could foresee the correct outcomes for bets like this, but Draco was competitive. He _had_ to prove to Blaise and to himself that he was good enough to finally receive Slughorn’s badge of honor.

“So,” Blaise finally spoke up, “Are you going to take on my bet or what?”

At this point, Draco had nothing to lose, so it was his turn to smirk. He leaned forward and placed his hand out for Blaise to shake. He took his hand firmly and shook it as Draco replied, “Of course. _You know me, I never back down from a challenge_. Especially a challenge that will end up changing my reputation for the _better._ ”

Blaise rolled his eyes, but a smile was lingering on his lips, “We’ll see, Malfoy, we’ll see.”

 

* * *

 

To put it simply, Draco lost the bet, and that left Blaise _boasting._

“I can’t believe he still wouldn’t let me in!” Draco screeched, “I am from a perfectly respectable pureblood family! _We have history._ ”

“Yeah, well, your dad is now in Azkaban,” Blaise chimed in, “And like I told you before, Slughorn is no longer associating with Death Eaters.”

Draco turned around and glared at him, but Blaise remained unphased.

Theo was now sitting with them, and Draco watched as he gently nudged Blaise’s shoulder as if he was trying to push him to say something. Draco knew what it he was trying to get him to say. He was going to bring up his terms. _Draco wasn't ready for it._

“So now that you have lost,” Blaise said casually, “You’re going to have to ask out Brown tomorrow.”

Draco snorted in disgust and sat down across from them in their common room. He looked at his nails and answered him.

“There is no way in hell that’s happening.”

“You gave Blaise your word,” Theo commented, “Slytherins accept bets and deal with the consequences.”

“Do we?” Draco challenged, “You still haven’t streaked in the Great Hall after that losing that bet against Pansy.”

Theo turned crimson and his lips tightened. Blaise grabbed his hand reassuringly and gave Draco a piercing look.

“This isn’t about Theo,” Blaise said darkly, “And besides, you know what happens when people go against me in bets and don’t stand by their word.”

It was true, Blaise had a _reputation._ He always got his revenge, and it was usually worse than what he had bet you to do in the first place. He was like a snake; it was impossible to know when he was going to strike. 

Draco gulped, and Blaise noticed. His famous smirk spread across his face. Theo tried his hardest not to laugh.

“So, you’ll ask her out tomorrow morning, right?” Blaise clarified.

Draco knew he didn’t have a choice. He avoided eye contact with Blaise as he answered.

_“Yes, I give you my word.”_

 

* * *

 

Draco almost claimed he was sick until Pansy and Daphne literally pushed him into the Great Hall the next morning. They had to contain their laughter.

“Blaise will literally kill you if you don’t go through with it,” Pansy told him, “Just get it over with. One date won’t kill you.”

“Are you sure about that, Pans?” Daphne asked jokingly, “This is _Brown_ we’re talking about. She’s insane.”

Draco rolled his eyes and loosened his arms from both of the girl’s grips.

He didn’t respond to them or look back at them as he walked forward towards the end of the Gryffindor table. He could feel people’s eyes on him as he approached her, and his palms were sweating profusely. _He felt ridiculous._

She was sitting alone and gripping her fork tightly. Draco followed her gaze and noticed she was glaring at Ron who was at the other end of the table with Granger and Potter. He could not believe she was so caught up on _Weasley_ , but he pushed that thought aside as he sat down next to her.

Lavender didn’t notice him at first, but when she did, she jumped in her seat in shock. Then her eyes quickly turned into slits. 

“What are you doing here, Malfoy?” She asked him, “Are you lost?”

Students at the table were staring at them, but no one was close enough to hear their conversation. For that, he was thankful. He glanced over his shoulder quickly and noticed Blaise was watching him from the Slytherin table. There was no backing out now. He took a deep breath.

“I came here to ask you a question,” he explained quickly, “I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?”

She raised her eyebrows and snorted in response.

“Is this a practical joke?” She asked, “Why would _you_ ask _me_ out, and _why_ would you think I would say _yes?_ ”

Draco was now gaping at her, and he opened and closed his mouth swiftly. He blinked a few times as he tried to muster up a lie, but nothing was coming to mind. So that’s when he decided to be _honest_ with her.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” he told her, “But I lost a bet. Zabini told me I needed to ask you out if I lost.”

He expected her to be mad, but she just _laughed._

“What was this bet about?” She asked him, “Don’t tell me it was about trying to get into the Slug Club. You should have _known_ you would lose. You were stumbling so bad talking to Sluggy yesterday.”

“You saw me talking to Slughorn?”

“It was hard not to smell your nervous sweat from across the hallway.”

 _She was perceptive, and this stumped Draco._ He wondered why in hell she was sorted into _Gryffindor_ , but she didn’t give him time to continue his thought process.

“I will go out with you,” she finally answered, “But on one condition.”

He looked over his shoulder and back at Blaise again. He was looking shocked that the conversation between them was lasting so long, and Theo leaned in close to his ear to whisper something. Draco watched as Blaise just shrugged.

He turned back around and looked directly at Lavender. 

“What condition?” He finally asked.

“We have to actively make Ron jealous. **We need to make him pay.** ”

This made Draco snicker, because if there was one thing he enjoyed more than torturing Potter, _it was torturing Weasley._

“You have a deal, Brown.”

Rather than shake on it, she got up from her spot and smiled down at him. Then she did something that was unexpected. _She gave him a kiss on the cheek_ _and flipped her blonde curls over her shoulder._

“I’ll see you later, Draco,” she said loudly.

She practically _pranced_ away, and when he looked up from shock, he saw the golden trio _gaping_ at him. He could feel his own friends staring through his with wide eyes as well.

He would make them all pay, and he was happy that he finally wouldn’t have to do it alone. Even if it meant working with Lavender Brown. 

 

* * *

 

They met at the gate to Hogsmeade.

Draco was surprised that Lavender was waiting for him when he got there. She was early, and he knew this because he was always fifteen minutes early to any kind of engagement.

“You’re early,” Draco remarked.

“As are you,” Lavender replied smoothly, “So how are we going to go about this?”

He took this moment to study her. It was odd seeing her in something other than her Gryffindor robes. He had never paid attention to her before, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to her pale pink sweater and the way her curls cascaded down from her high ponytail.

Draco had to clear his throat before he could speak.

“Does there really have to be a plan?” He asked her, “Can’t we just walk in holding hands in front of Weasley and call it good?”

She looked at him in disbelief, “Do you think he will give a fuck? I tried that last week with Roger Davies. He didn’t even bat an eye.”

“You tried to make him jealous with Roger?” Draco laughed, “Everyone knows he is the rebound guy.”

She glared at him and crossed her arms, but he continued laughing as he began to walk. She followed after him.

“Well, it’s better than not having an idea at all. Give me something good! You’re a Slytherin, for god’s sake. Isn’t being sly and sneaky your thing?”

Draco snorted, “Is that all you think Slytherins are? _Sneaky and sly?_ We are resourceful and strategic, sure, but we are _more_ than that.”

She stopped walking and grabbed his forearm to make him stop in his tracks as well. 

“Then prove it,” she challenged.

He was about to ask her what she meant, but before he could, her lips were fiercely pressed against his. He was about to pull away, but her tongue slipped between his lips, and her hands were now locked against the back of his neck.

He was surprised by how easily his arms found their way down her back and how easily he melted into her touch, but it was over before he could comprehend every feeling that rushed through him. 

She was still close to him, and he watched her fast breath fog up the cold air. Then Lavender suddenly looked ahead of them, and that’s when he followed her glance to see that Weasley and Granger had just walked by. _Weasley hadn’t even turned around to notice or care._

“Fuck,” she said angrily, “That didn’t even work! Learn to kiss better, _Malfoy!_ ”

He was about to argue back and tell her that he was a great kisser, _thank you very much_ , but she was already treading through the snow and back to Hogwarts.

Draco knew he should have followed her back, but he was too dumbfounded.

 _He just kissed Lavender Brown, and he had enjoyed it._ But it wasn’t real. Nothing in his life seemed to be anymore.

This would come to an end, just like everything else, and it hadn’t even started.

 

* * *

 

They went on five more Hogsmeade “dates” before they decided they needed to re-think their deal. 

Each date ended in a pissed off Lavender and a dumbfounded Draco. She ended up besting him _every single time,_ even if she was not having any success with Weasley.

“These random public displays of affection aren’t working,” she told him seriously, “We need to just take it slow and hang out.”

“Hang out? That wasn’t a part of the deal, Brown.”

“We didn’t even set firm rules, so it is a part of the deal now. Don’t act like there was a contract.”

He gripped his butterbeer tightly in his hands to control his annoyance and stared down at her pink fingerless gloves.

“You surprise me,” he finally blurted out, “You don’t act like the rest of them.”

“The rest of who?”

“The rest of the Gryffindors.”

“I have their rage.”

“Yeah, but you’re actually _smart._ ”

She smirked and leaned back in her chair.

“You’re the first person to ever say that to me,” she told him honestly, “Go figure.”

He scrunched his eyebrows together and leaned forward so no one else could potentially hear their conversation in the pub.

“Is that because you try to dumb yourself down so you can use them to your advantage later on if they wrong you?”

She didn’t respond right away, but she leaned back away from him and took a sip of her own butterbeer.

“I’ll let you in on a secret I have never told anyone, Malfoy. I was almost a hatstall between Slytherin and Gryffindor.”

This made Draco smile, and then he was laughing. He was laughing so hard he had to physically grab his belly. Other people in the Three Broomsticks were now staring at them, and Lavender urged for him to be quiet.

“We don’t need people watching us!” She hissed.

 _But he didn’t care._ He wiped a tear from his eye and then sarcastically asked, “But that’s what you wanted, right? For people to think we were dating?”

_“Shut up.”_

Her face was bright red, and she was looking around nervously. It was a small victory for the day, so Draco let himself feel it.

_He let himself feel it all._

And he let himself accept that, for just a moment, he was falling for Lavender Brown and her seemingly wicked mind.

 

* * *

 

“I relieve you of the duties assigned to you from our bet.”

Draco looked up from his parchment and gave Blaise a funny look.

“And why would you do that?”

“Because I can see you’re enjoying it now,” Blaise said honestly, _“And that just won’t do.”_

Draco felt a blush crawl up his neck and around his ears.

“I’m not enjoying it,” he lied, “I’m just getting something out of it.”

“Yeah,” Blaise replied, “Brown’s knickers.”

“She is not giving me her knickers!”

Draco felt his fists clench under the table, and he was thankful Blaise couldn't see them.

“Tsk tsk, you’re getting defensive. _You like her._ ”

Blaise said it like it was a fact. Draco did not like that. He did not like appearing vulnerable at all.

“Shut the fuck up, Zabini,” he said hotly, “You don’t know anything. We have a deal.”

“Since when do you keep deals unless the other person can cause you harm if you don't keep it?”

He took a deep breath and gave Blaise a serious look.

“Will you please just cut me some slack?”

Draco felt defeated. He knew he should fight harder, but he couldn’t anymore. It was taking too much energy away from him, and he already had too much to worry about with all his _duties_ coming up. Lavender was the only thing giving him hope.

Blaise saw the serious look that must have been in his eyes and sensed it in his tone, because Draco watched his face relax and show _sympathy_. He dropped his smirk, and that’s when Draco knew that Blaise was letting this go. 

“Okay,” Blaise relented, “I’ll cut you some slack, but only because you’re one of my best friends, and I can see you genuinely need me to.”

Draco was relieved. He took a deep breath, but he didn't say a word. He just got up from his spot at their library table and patted Blaise on his shoulder as he left.

 

* * *

 

She was leaning against the outside wall of the Astronomy Tower as she waited for him.

Her long blonde curls were blowing in the wind, and she was hugging her sweater tight against her chest. Draco was surprised she had agreed to meet with him at this hour. It was unlike their usual meetings, and it was definitely not planned. He had only owled her twenty minutes before.

She didn’t notice him walk in, so he took this opportunity to observe her from a distance.

Lavender Brown was truly beautiful, and in that moment, she took his breath away.

It was as though she could sense his thoughts, because she finally turned around and gave him a small smile. It was playful, but their interactions usually always were unless her rage took over.

“Why did you call to meet me?” She asked, “Do you have a new plan?”

Draco blinked a few times and didn’t move. He rubbed his fingers together in his pockets and tried to swallow.

He didn’t answer her, so she began to walk towards him. She always suffered from chronic impatience. 

“What are you playing at, Malf-“ She started, but he stopped her with a kiss.

His hands gently caressed her face, and his tongue slowly parted her lips. He had expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, her hands found her way down his back just like his had the first time she’d kissed him.

They were pressed against each other like that for a long time. For all Draco knew, it could have been hours. But this time, he was the first one to pull away.

He could see the fog of their breaths combining together in sync. He was surprised he was even still breathing, because he swore his heart had stopped.

“This is the new plan,” he finally answered, “You and me. _This._ Fuck Weasley, fuck me over instead. _I will gladly allow it._ ”

A soft smile played at her lips and she chuckled some. Then she finally brought one of her hands up to his face to cup his cheek.

She stroked it with the pad of her thumb and brought their foreheads together. He took a deep breath. He was wrong, his heart hadn’t stopped. _It was still there and now beating full force._

That was Lavender’s gift, she could kill you with her words but make you feel alive with her actions. He supposed they were similar in that way.

_He might not have gotten Slughorn’s badge of honor, but he surely got hers._

And at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

Maybe this was the key. Maybe this would stop him from becoming who he thought he _had_ to be. Maybe there was another way.

"On one condition," she finally said.

"Anything," he breathed.

"Kiss me again."

Draco didn't even hesitate, because for once, he planned on keeping his word. 


End file.
